Bill Frisell's "Beautiful Dreams" 4.30.13

Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge
Denver, CO

Words & Photos By J-man

Dazzle filled in quickly as Tuesday's work concluded and folks sought a weeknight escape. We arrived early to truly enjoy our dining experience and a delightful bottle of wine prior to the music kicking off. As 6:30 PM approached, Bill and his band stepped out from the kitchen into the near capacity room and took the stage. A brief, always entertaining intro from Music Director, Kevin Lee and the show was underway. Bill's beautiful, passive approach to the guitar played out like a dream with Eyvind Kang by his side on Viola matching melodies with a straight face as bill smiled and laughed. On drums was Rudy Royston, who was loose and all over the place, yet in a tight/controlled manner that fit the percussive demand for such loosely structured music. One composition bridged to another with the utilization of obscure scales and ambient style as Bill bent down often to alter the tone of his guitar with his effects pedal.

The music took listeners' minds on a journey through tasteful and explorative arrangements. From the vantage point of the crowd, it may have seemed as if the music were improvised, if not for the music stands and infrequent glances at the charts. The music and performance was masterful, with all three musicians contributing extremely impressive parts to mix, and though Bill's compositions were incredible, the familiarity and spin that the band put on The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields" may have been the clear highlight of the set. Upon it's conclusion, the full room cheered loudly and the band disappeared back into the kitchen. It was such a pleasure to see Bill Frisell in such an intimate environment. I look forward to his return to Dazzle and would recommend seeing him whenever the opportunity presents itself!

J-man's Photo Gallery

www.billfrisell.com

www.dazzlejazz.com

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